microdrive without rainbow

[Wolfgang]

I just got a seemingly unused microdrive and it has a shield without the rainbow. I have never seen these before, does anybody have information about them?

[jpnz]

Yeah, I have a pair that also don't have the rainbow:



I got these in 2006 from Rich at http://www.rwapsoftware.co.uk/ for £55!

[spider]

Could they possibly be 'later' reproduced cases ? I mean later by say mid-80's rather than 'new later' or perhaps just produced by a different factory/line ? The same way the mainboard was iirc produced by different places.

I don't recall seeing one without the logo/rainbow though 'in the metal/plastic' myself!

[AndyC]

Could be a redesign to fit in better with the QL perhaps?

[Wolfgang]

Could be a redesign to fit in better with the QL perhaps?

That is what I suspected too.

[spider]

Could be a redesign to fit in better with the QL perhaps?

I did for a second think about that but not having been near one for years nor really 'used' one properly aside from shop playing I'm not sure. Although they iirc have two built in units was there some expansion to add more then ? That would explain it, if the drives were the same ?

From memory the drives are the same or almost the same just the cartridge format is not.

[8BitAG]

Sinclair cost-cutting, perhaps?

(Although you could technically add up to six external microdrives to the QL, I don't think this was ever official supported... although you can make your own cables to do it.)

[1024MAK]

External QL microdrives (if any were ever produced) go on the right hand side of the computer.

Now, on an interface 1, which side do ZX microdrives go?

Mark